Introduction

My name is Daniel Hosch. I am currently a junior at Loras College. I plan to graduate

in May of 2015 with my bachelor's degree majoring in finance and accounting. I do not know
exactly what I would like to do after graduation, but I have interests in banking, investments, and
agricultural related business. I have grown up on a farm outside of Monticello, Iowa. I plan on
staying in eastern Iowa after graduation.
While studying in Ireland, I have been placed at Mercer Accommodations Group. I have
been working in accounting. I have never worked in accounting before, so this was a new
experience for me. Mercer Accommodations Group is a company that, as I understand, has 3
major parts. The first part of the company includes the Tara Towers hotels located throughout
Ireland. The second part of the company manages apartments throughout Dublin. The third part
of the company is a job recruitment service.
On my first day everything started out as expected. I climbed to the top floor of an office
building to find two offices separated by a small hallway. When I walked in, I met Ewa. Ewa is
the lead accountant at Mercer. She is seems to be a very kind hearted person who would like to
help anyone she can do their job, but she has just started herself within the last two months, so
she is struggling to learn the practices of the company. She also struggles to speak English
fluently. She is originally from Poland. The next person that I meet is Dimitar. Dimitar has
been working at Mercer for a month. Dimitar is orginially from Bulgaria and he is also an intern.
I realized times were tough in Ireland when he told me that he has wife and child, but is working
as an unpaid intern to get any experience that he can. The last employee that I met was Lenka.
She is from Slovakia. Lenka is in charge of accounts payable and accounts receivable.

The leader in this office is Cepta. Cepta is from Ireland. I sometimes question her leadership
style. It seems that she gets very intense in crucial moments and expects everyone to know
exactly what they are doing all the time. This normally could be beneficial to a company, but in
this time of transition I do not think this is very effective. In my first week there have been
multiple times where there has been shouting matches. In my opinion and past experience,
staying calm and clearly communicating will always help more than just yelling the same things
repeatedly.
This is really as much as I've learned in my first week. I do not feel comfortable asking
about certain benefits yet, and it does not seem that the competition is a primary concern of the
accounting department.
Some of my responsibilities in this first week have included filing, organizing folders for
properties, and writing many emails for Cepta. I have spent some time researching differences in
taxes in Ireland as compared to the United States.
Week 2
While starting this internship experience I have observed that I have been exhausted by
the end of the day. I am not working a labor-intensive job, but I have felt on edge throughout the
whole day at the office. I am constantly worried about making a mistake. While looking at the
others and their internships, they all seem excited about their internships. Dalton tells me that his
company has a ping pong table in case anyone gets stressed, Jimmy is working with basketball,
and Kyle is working in a theater. All of them seem to be working hard, but also having fun. I
admit I am jealous of them, but hopefully at my new placement, I will be able to have some fun
as well.

All that I have done is file at Mercer Accommodation Group. There has not been any
work that involves accounting or finance. I do not think that this is a place that is beneficial to
my learning.
Week 3
This past week I have changed internship locations. I am now working at Geodis Ireland
Ltd. This is a freight logistics company. I am working in their finance department. Through my
first two days I really enjoy working here. I have found that I like a relaxed working
environment where the person in charge is composed and that gives respect to his/her coworkers
in order to gain respect. The group that is working in the finance department seems to get along
very well and it shows. They talk casually throughout the day and seem to enjoy being around
each other. This is a breath of fresh air coming from where I have been. I feel like I can learn
much more at Geodis. I am very happy I made the switch.
So far I have learned that in order to improve your surroundings, you have to take action.
In the future I will know that I can't just wait for things to get better. I am very happy I took the
necessary steps to be transferred to another location. I am also very thankful for those who
helped me improve my working situation. This is a valuable lesson that I have learned over the
past few weeks.
Resume Bullet Points
Here are the bullet points I would use on my resume after completing this internship. I
believe these tasks are fairly common for interns in the accounting department of a company. I
think businesses in the future would be pleased that I would have experience in these areas
because this is what most entry level jobs require new employees to accomplish. Having a
background in these areas would make my prior experience adequate for any business's needs.

- Reconciled financial statements

- Billed customers for services provided

- Completed office administration tasks

Learning Goals: Final Draft

1.

Goal 1: Learn the tax differences that occur in Ireland and the EU.

Objective 1. Research the details of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) including the differences in
how it is charged among different industries.
Means: -Follow instructions from coworkers on how to properly use the VAT.
-Reference revenue.ie for specific instructions for different types of items.
-Learn how to use the software that is provided at Geodis. This software will properly insert the
VAT on the services that are provided.
Assessment:
-Determine if I can successfully complete various tasks at work that deal with charging and
paying tax.
- Earned the trust of co-workers in completing tasks with accuracy. Do they need to redo a task,
or do I need to redo a task?
-Ability to list the differences of charges in different industries.

Goal 2: Learn how to work and navigate in a big city.

Means:
-Set a strict schedule for public transportation. I also need to keep my leap card funded, so that I
will always be able to pay for the bus.
-Listen and learn from coworkers about the business practices in Ireland.
-Listen carefully for certain jargon that is used here in Ireland and Europe and the processes that
are done here as compared to the way things are done in the U.S.
Assessment:
-Ability to work and navigate the city with confidence in going to and from work, visit different
sites, and live the city life without standing out from the other people around me. I also want to
be able to successfully use public transportation in an efficient manner.
-Determine if I feel more like a local than a tourist in Dublin.

Week #4
This past week I was walking back from Sunday morning mass at St. Theresa's Church.
While walking on Grafton Street I noticed a large crowd of people forming. As I got closer to
the crowd, I started to hear the sound of instruments and singing. I stopped to watch and it was a
band called "Keywest." They were busking. I stood there listening for around 20 to 25 minutes.
They were very good. They talked about how they have an album and they play shows around
Ireland, the U.K. and the United States. They continue busking in order to get their music out to
people who wouldn't normally hear them.

This was a great experience. While standing on Grafton listening, I got a feeling of how
many buskers try to get just a few cents from each person who walks past them. Most are not
very talented and shouldn't expect much, but acts like this make me realize the all the talent that
is out there that we don't necessarily hear on the radio or see on television.
What I have learned from this experience is that there is a ton of talent that may not be
necessarily thrown at us every day. Sometimes it may pay off to go out and try to find that music
that isn't as easy to listen to. It felt much more gratifying knowing that I had to be on Grafton
Street in Dublin, Ireland on that exact day at the exact time in order to experience them perform.
Here is a YouTube video of them performing if you are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H76R8ApQFtw

Learning Goals
1.

Goal 1: Learn the tax differences that occur in Ireland and the EU.

Objective 1. Research the details of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) including the differences in
how it is charged among different industries.
Means: -Follow instructions from coworkers on how to properly use the VAT.
-Reference revenue.ie for specific instructions for different types of items.
-Learn how to use the software that is provided at Geodis. This software will properly insert the
VAT on the services that are provided.

Assessment:

I will know that I have accomplished this goal when I can successfully complete various tasks at
work that deal with charging and paying tax. With the invoicing that I do, it is very important for
my coworkers to trust me in completing these tasks with accuracy.
Goal 2: I want to learn how to work and navigate in a big city.
Means:
-I need to keep a very strict schedule for public transportation. I also need to keep my leap card
funded, so that I will always be able to pay for the bus.
-I need to listen and learn from coworkers about the business practices in Ireland.
-I will have to listen carefully for certain jargon that is used here in Ireland and Europe and the
processes that are done here as compared to the way things are done in the U.S.
Assessment:
I will know when I have learned how to work and navigate in a city when I am able to have
confidence in going to and from work, visit different sites, and live the city life without standing
out from the other people around me. I do not want to be viewed as a tourist by the locals. I also
want to be able to successfully use public transportation in an efficient manner.

Week 5
I have not gotten into the deep parts of accounting while at Geodis yet, but one thing I
have found challenging about what is being done in the finance department is that we are both
buying from suppliers and selling to retailers. This is sometimes hard to understand because we
are not just buying or selling. There can be some confusion on who we are dealing with and for
what reason. There is also some confusion that occurs with the exchange rates. Geodis is an

international company and with that comes exchange rate calculation. This seemed to always
give me trouble in class, but I am slowly getting better with this.
I do feel that in the accounting class setting we do a lot of the technical work that is
needed to understand what is actually happening, but from what I have seen, there are computer
programs that do the hard work for us. I think we need to learn the technical side, but I do not
think it has to be mastered to succeed in the workplace. I believe a general understanding will be
sufficient.
Week 6
I have learned many things while working in Ireland. The most important thing I have
learned is that I can adapt. My first week and a half were very stressful. I was going through
serious culture shock. I was lost all of the time and was having trouble adjusting. I then started a
job that did not have a good environment. I did what I had to do to move to a new place that I
enjoy working at. I am now getting more and more comfortable using public transportation and I
am settling in at a workplace and making friends along the way. I still prefer working in the
United States and the ways of transportation, but I now know that I can adjust and adapt to
situations that are very different than the ones I am used to.
I have changed locations for my internship. I am now at Geodis Ireland Ltd. This is a
logistics company that happens to be the largest in Ireland. They work with other companies
around the world. I am working in the finance department. From what I have gathered so far,
Sarah (my supervisor) works with invoicing, Ashling works with billing, and Mark and Keith
work with preparing statements. Antoinette is the head of the finance department. She is a very
nice person who does not micro-manage.

Since I have not been here long I do not know how policies are formed. I do know the
organization is funded through charging companies a certain amount depending on the size of the
load and how far it is going. There are a large number of employees, but there are 8 people in
my department. I do not feel comfortable asking about benefits and I have not come across any
issues the company is facing up to this point.

Letter of Motivation:
Dear Ms. Purdy:
I would be honored to have the chance to work for a company while I am living and
learning in Ireland. I hope that there would be a position available for me to showcase my
abilities as well as learn from the fine employees that make up your company. There is still a lot
for me to learn to be a successful businessman someday, and I believe that spending time helping
and learning from your company would give me a great competitive advantage over others in my
field.
For the past two summers I have worked at Ohnward Bank & Trust in my hometown of
Monticello, Iowa. There I learned how to interact with customers, perform financial
transactions, and how to read and understand financial documents. I believe these are very
important skills to have in the business world. I have also grown up working on our family farm
where I have been an active worker from an early age. There I have established a work ethic that
I believe differentiates me from others who may be competing for the same positions.
I would like to thank you for taking the time look over my Curriculum Vitae and
Motivation letter. I am very excited to be in the Irish culture. I am eager to be in a place that is
different from where I was raised so I can learn the ways of the Irish people, and learn how

business is conducted in a European setting. I will work diligently for any business that is
willing to bring me in and educate me. I hope that I will hear from you soon!

Yours sincerely

Daniel Hosch

CV:

Daniel Hosch
Curriculum Vitae
2325 Jones Delaware Road, Hopkinton, Iowa, USA, 52237
Chubb Properties, Suite One, Lad Lane Apartments, Cumberland Road, Fitzwilliam Square,
Dublin 2, Ireland
00-1-319-480-6264
daniel.hosch@loras.edu
Education
Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, USA
Majoring in Business: Accounting & Finance
Working towards completing CPA exam

Monticello High School, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Graduated with a 3.7/4.0 Grade Point Average
Completed 300 hours of Community Service
Played four sports throughout my four years of high school
Was a representative on Student Council

Monticello Middle School, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Completed grades 7-8 here

Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Completed Kindergarten-6th grade

Summary of Qualifications

Accounting and Finance major working towards a Bachelors Degree

Spent 8 months in an internship for Ohnward Bank & Trust

Worked as a teller. Performed transactions, observed loan committee meetings, involved

in community marketing projects

Honest, Hard-working, detail oriented, willing to learn, good communication skills

Summary of Skills

-Performed transactions Customer Relations Emphasis on balancing Teamwork Microsoft

Excel Microsoft Word Microsoft Powerpoint

Professional Background

Employment

Customer Service Representative

Ohnward Bank & Trust, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Summer 2012-Present
Worked with customers performing transactions
-

Was asked to return for a second summer internship.

Connected with the community in which I worked.

Painter

NBC Painting, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Summer 2011
Painted buildings and fences

Laborer

Muller Tree Service, Monticello, Iowa USA

Summer 2011
Trimmed trees and bushes

Laborer
Summer 2008-Present

Hosch Grain TEC, Monticello, Iowa, USA

Construction Service

Week 7
As I have been working in the finance department at Geodis Ireland, I have noticed that
many things that I have learned in my accounting classes with Professor Kerkenbush and
Professor Lammer have helped me understand what is happening when we do certain
procedures. For example, since I am at a logistics company, it is very important to understand
whether we are accounting for items as FOB shipping point or FOB destination. This is a
principle that explains who is liable for costs that occur while products are in transit. Since we
deal with many different companies and there are different contractual agreements for each, there
are some with FOB shipping point and some with FOB destination. Since I came in with this
knowledge, it was easier to grasp what was happening with the numbers.
Since I have made the transition from Mercer Accommodation Group to Geodis
Logistics, I have realized there are some notable differences in working environments. At
Mercer there was little conversation throughout the day. It seemed as if no one would be talking
to each other if they were not obligated to sit in the same room for 8 hours every day. At Geodis,
everyone seems to have an enjoyable experience. There is a radio playing. This sparks
conversation. There is a candy box that is available to anyone at any time. The overall
atmosphere is all around better. If I were to change two things about the working environment, I
would change the way some people dress for work every day. This is small, but for some people
in other departments there seems to be little to no dress code. Some are wearing jeans and
sweatshirts everyday while others throughout the building are wearing dress pants and dress
shirts. There is a casual Friday policy, but I dont think this conveys the most professional look

for the business. The other change I would make is to limit the usage of the key cards all
employees are issued. This is a security precaution, but it is very annoying especially for those
who work in the offices because there are many doors and hallways that we walk through and it
is annoying to use these cards so often. Both of my changes are very minor. I really do like
where I am working and there really is not much I would change about Geodis.

Learning Goals: Final Draft

1.

Goal 1: Learn the tax differences that occur in Ireland and the EU.

Objective 1. Research the details of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) including the differences in
how it is charged among different industries.
Means: -Follow instructions from coworkers on how to properly use the VAT.
-Reference revenue.ie for specific instructions for different types of items.
-Learn how to use the software that is provided at Geodis. This software will properly insert the
VAT on the services that are provided.
Assessment:
-Determine if I can successfully complete various tasks at work that deal with charging and
paying tax.
- Earned the trust of co-workers in completing tasks with accuracy. Do they need to redo a task,
or do I need to redo a task?
-Ability to list the differences of charges in different industries.

Goal 2: Learn how to work and navigate in a big city.

Means:
-Set a strict schedule for public transportation. I also need to keep my leap card funded, so that I
will always be able to pay for the bus.
-Listen and learn from coworkers about the business practices in Ireland.
-Listen carefully for certain jargon that is used here in Ireland and Europe and the processes that
are done here as compared to the way things are done in the U.S.
Assessment:
-Ability to work and navigate the city with confidence in going to and from work, visit different
sites, and live the city life without standing out from the other people around me. I also want to
be able to successfully use public transportation in an efficient manner.

-Determine if I feel more like a local than a tourist in Dublin.

Resume Bullet Points

Here is the bullet points I would use on my resume after completing this internship. I believe
these tasks are fairly common for interns in the accounting department of a company. I think
businesses in the future would be pleased that I would have experience in these areas because
this is what most entry level jobs require new employees to accomplish. Having a background in
these areas would make my prior experience adequate for any business's needs.

- Reconciled financial statements

- Billed customers for services provided

- Completed office administration tasks

Week 9
A gap in my knowledge/skills related to this job is that I am not familiar with the
accounting software that they operate at Geodis. They use Azyra accounting software. While
working at Honkamp Krueger back home, I did not come into contact with Azyra. Since I
worked in the software consulting department this was surprising to me. It leads me to believe
that Azyra is more of a European based software that is not used as much in the United States.
I have been presented with the challenge of working in an environment that was not
healthy. The employees were not motivated externally. The manager was not a person that made
the people around her better, and it showed with how everyone in the office acted. I felt very
uncomfortable while I was there and I feel sorry for those who are still working there today. I
am glad I acted the way I did. I did not want to keep quiet and not get the best experience
possible. I have had trouble in the past voicing my opinion and going with the flow too much. I
learned that I needed to put my foot down in order to get the best possible outcome for myself.

Week 10
When I return back home I am sure I will get asked by my family and friends about the
internship I participated in while here in Ireland. If I described it using three sentences I would
answer the following way:
I worked at Geodis Ireland which is the largest logistics company in Ireland. I was
assigned tasks such as invoicing, billing, and administrative. I worked in a great work
environment where everyone treated me with respect while teaching me a great deal.

I would honestly describe the internship the same way in an interview. I think they
would like to know about the company, what I did while working for them, and what I learned
while being there. I believe this will be a great conversation to have in an interview. This will
hopefully show that I am worldly and not afraid to take a chance.

Week 11
The tasks I have performed at Geodis have taught me that I am not very interested in the
accounting field. I do not mind doing what they tell me to do at all, but I don't believe that
accounting is for me. I like to be in the decision making process more than gathering and
organizing information. This is very important for me to know because I am an accounting and
finance double major. After working here and at a bank in the past, I have learned that I am more
interested in finance than accounting. I am glad that I found this out. It is just as important to
know what you do not want to do as what you do want to do.
I believe that I have been learning how business is conducted in the European setting.
From what I have gathered, I believe that it is much like the setting in the United States. I do
believe my setting is more relaxed than other places. I also have been incorporating the tax
differences into my tasks. With most of Europe using the "Value Added Tax" and the United
States using the "Sales Tax," it can be confusing at first, but I now feel that I have a general
understanding of this.

Week 12
I expected to see theoretical connections between the classroom and the workplace. The
classroom work that students complete is to teach different concepts that apply to real world

situations. While in the workplace you have those concepts in mind, but most of the time you
are learning the fundamentals of how to complete tasks for your department. I have learned
many of the concepts that are used in my accounting internship, but in the workplace I put those
concepts to work. For example, being a logistics company, how we calculate inventory is very
important. Different contracts with customers require different methods of inventory. We use
both F.O.B. shipping point and F.O.B. destination. It was very useful to know these concepts
before entering the workplace.

Week 13 & 14
Over Easter break I traveled throughout Europe. I visited Barcelona, Spain, Rome, Italy
and Crete, Greece. This was one of the most interesting and fun trips that I have ever taken. My
favorite place was Rome. There is so much history and so much culture to take in while visiting.
It was a trip of a lifetime. A cultural experience that seems to really hit home with me was St.
Peter's Square in Rome. There was such a gathering of Catholics, plus they were getting ready to
name 2 new saints while we were there. It was a fun time to be in Rome.

Week 15
I believe that although we have been in a different location, the attitudes of the people we
are working with are generally the same. There are those who are very hard workers that have
goals that are more than just bringing home a paycheck and there are those that do their job to
bring home money for them or their family. There are subtle differences such as the views on
time. There is a much more relaxed view for being on time, but for the most part I felt like I
could have been working in the US while working for Geodis. Another difference is that there

are more built in breaks throughout the day. This would get on my nerves because I would work
without as many breaks and leave around 5 then have more breaks and leave later.
Conclusion
Working in Ireland was an amazing experience for me. I learned so much that just cannot be
learned while in the classroom. From working with real money and real accounts to meeting
with real people in the workplace and getting to know them on a personal level was a great
experience. Coming in to the finance department, I was very nervous about how I would fit in
with the people there. I did not know if the workplace would be different in Europe and Ireland
as it is in the U.S. There was also certain processes that would be different because I was at an
international company that dealt with many different laws and regulations of the many different
countries we conducted business with. I had made goals before starting my internship and I have
learned a lot from setting these goals.

Goal 1: Learn the tax differences that occur in Ireland and the EU.
Objective 1. Research the details of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) including the
differences in how it is charged among different industries.
Means: -Follow instructions from coworkers on how to properly use the VAT.
-Reference revenue.ie for specific instructions for different types of items.
-Learn how to use the software that is provided at Geodis. This software will properly
insert the VAT on the services that are provided.
Assessment:

I will know that I have accomplished this goal when I can successfully complete various
tasks at work that deal with charging and paying tax. With the invoicing that I do, it is
very important for my coworkers to trust me in completing these tasks with accuracy.
Response:
I did not have to dive very deep into this while working at Geodis. Through my coursework at
Loras College, I know how a Value-Added tax is calculated and what the purpose of it is, but I
most of the work that I was given was based on tax values that have already been calculated
before reaching me.

Goal 2: I want to learn how to work and navigate in a big city.

Means:
-I need to keep a very strict schedule for public transportation. I also need to keep my leap
card funded, so that I will always be able to pay for the bus.
-I need to listen and learn from coworkers about the business practices in Ireland.
-I will have to listen carefully for certain jargon that is used here in Ireland and Europe
and the processes that are done here as compared to the way things are done in the U.S.
Assessment:

I will know when I have learned how to work and navigate in a city when I am able to have
confidence in going to and from work, visit different sites, and live the city life without
standing out from the other people around me. I do not want to be viewed as a tourist by

the locals. I also want to be able to successfully use public transportation in an efficient
manner.
Response:
I thought this would be a very important skill for me to possess while living in the capital
of Ireland. I do not know where Ill end up being employed in the future, but I now will not be
intimidated of using the public transportation systems anywhere. Another experience I had using
public transportation was using the underground systems in countries that I did not know the
language. While using these I thought to myself, If I can do this, I can use public transportation
anywhere.
I also used the bus system in Dublin to go to and from work every day. After spending at
least two hours on the bus every day, I feel like I am well equipped to handle any situation that
might present itself in the future. I also feel comfortable using public transportation in cities that
I will visit in the future instead of taking a cab or shuttle. This skill will be very important in the
future.
By the end my time in Ireland, I felt that I could fit in as much as any American could in
Dublin. I could even pick out the tourists and laugh at the fact that only 3 months before, I
probably looked exactly like them.
In my experiences with my two internships in Dublin, I have come away with a better
understanding of how to be respected and how to stand up for myself. I feel that I have matured
so much because of these experiences. While working for Mercer Accommodation Group, I was
not growing as a student, employee, or as a person. I was completing mundane tasks that had no
connection to accounting or finance. I was simply showing up every day. What I did learn at
Mercer was that in order to be in situations that are beneficial, I needed to stand up for myself

and do something about it. I could not waste my opportunity in Ireland at a job like this. I
contacted the people who could help me and they did. I was very grateful of this, and I am
happy that I stood up for what was right. In the past I normally just did what bosses have told
me, but because of this experience I learned how to professionally handle unpleasant situations
in the workplace and was rewarded with my internship at Geodis.
I feel that my work experience in a foreign country will set me apart from others
competing for the same jobs in the future. I believe that those who work in international settings
show that they are able to adapt to a different culture and a way to go about their work. No
matter where someone works there is a certain culture that is present in the workplace, but if one
can be flexible enough to work in many different cultures, it shows the adaptability present in
that person. I feel that having an international internship on my resume will show employers
what I am as a person, and I can tell them all that I have learned in the great experience that I had
while in Ireland.
If I knew of someone contemplating an internship in Ireland, I would tell them that it will
be a great experience and possibly the greatest of your life. There is so much out there for a
college student from the United States to learn about the working world in other countries.
Small things can be learned through this experience that cannot be learned anywhere else.
Whether it is learning public transportation in a foreign country or learning how to communicate
and enjoy a conversation with those from other cultures, there is much to be learned. I would
hope that anyone with this opportunity would take it, and I would try to push them in that
direction.

Supervisor Evaluations:
Antoinette spoke highly of Dan and his work at Geodis. Comments included:

Dan was very good at his work.

Antoinette is able to give Dan tasks and he would complete them straight away

Dan is mature and has the ability to work independently

He is professional and responsible.

Sarah also spoke highly of Dan. She said he was a good addition to the department
and fit in well.
Antoinette said Geodis has had a mix of undergraduate and graduate students in the past.
Having Dan as an undergraduate working part time for the organization has been a
positive experience.
I was very happy and thankful that those at Geodis had all of these things to say about
me. I really tried to work hard and do my best at all the tasks that they gave me while working at
Geodis. I also tried to ask for more work when I could, so I could take the initiative and show
that I really cared about the work that I was doing.
While on my lunch break and during slow times at work I tried to have conversations and
joke around with others around me. I feel that by doing that, I gained friends and trust in the
workplace. This allowed everyone to be more comfortable with me and for me to be more
comfortable at work.